Maria Bakalova is a Bulgarian actress who gained international recognition after playing the role of Tutar Sagdiyev in the American mockumentary film Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020). She has also appeared in various Bulgarian films, like Transgression (2018), Last Call (2020), and The Father (2020).
Wiki/Biography
Maria Bakalova was born on Tuesday, June 4, 1996 (age 24 years; as of 2020), in Burgas, Bulgaria. Maria Bakalova is a trained singer and flutist. She began learning flute at the age of six. In an interview, she said,
I started singing at the age of 5 or 6 and then I started flute lessons. But at some point, I wanted to explore more. I wanted to escape from reality. Because in acting, you can become anybody. You can do everything. You can live on Mars.
She studied at the National School of Arts in Burgas, where she majored in acting, and second majored in flute. Thereafter, she pursued a course in theatre arts at the Krastyo Sarafov National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, Sofia. [1]Glamour
Childhood picture of Maria Bakalova with her father
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5’ 5”
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family & Ethnicity
Parents & Siblings
Maria Bakalova’s mother’s name is Rumiana Bakalova.
Maria Bakalova with her father
Maria Bakalova with her mother
Relationships, Husband & Children
Not much is known about her relationships.
Career
Television
In 2015, Maria Bakalova made her acting debut with the Bulgarian television series, Tipichno.
Film
In 2017, she made her film debut with the Bulgarian movie XIIa in which she played the role of Milena.
Maria Bakalova in XIIa (2017)
Later, in 2018, she starred in the Bulgarian film Transgression (2018) as Yana, a teenager who falls in love with an older man. Maria was immensely appreciated for playing the role of Yana, which earned her the Best Actress Award at the Toronto’s Alternative Film Festival (2018).
In 2020, she appeared in the film Last Call in which she played the role of Alexandra. The storyline of the film ‘Last Call’ revolves around a girl who must be saved from committing suicide through the power of love. Later, in 2020, she struck international stardom with the American mockumentary film Borat Subsequent Moviefilm in which she played the role of Tutar Sagdiyev, a fifteen-year-old teenager who travels to America with her father, Borat who attempts to offer Tutar as a ceremonial gift to Vice President Mike Pence to bring honor back to Kazakhstan. Maria Bakalova won various accolades in the category of Breakout Star of the Year and Best Supporting Actress for playing the role of Tutar Sagdiyev.
Awards/Honours
- Won Best Actress Award at Alternative Film Festival (2018) for the film Transgression
- Won Best Supporting Actress Award at Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards (2020)
- Won Best Supporting Actress Award at Chicago Film Critics Association Awards (2020)
- Won Best Supporting Actress Award at Florida Film Critics Circle Awards (2020)
- Won Best Supporting Actress Award at Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards (2020)
- Won Breakout of the Year Award (2020) at Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards (2020)
- Won Best Supporting Actress Award at New York Film Critics Circle (2020)
Favorite Things
- Actresses: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman
- OTT/Web Series: Dark (2017), Money Heist (2017), Unorthodox (2020)
Facts/Trivia
- Maria Bakalova Alba Baptista is an occasional smoker.
- Maria post various pictures on her Instagram account which depict that she frequently consumes alcohol.
- During her childhood days, Maria was a bibliophile i.e., she loved to read books. In an interview, she said,
I was a super-disciplined child. I was reading too many books. I was obsessed with Dostoyevsky, at like 15, 16.
- She has also appeared in various Bulgarian short-films, like Kalinka (2018), Due to Unforeseen Circumstances (2019), Dream Girl (2019), etc.
- Maria Bakalova has various tattoos inked on her body i.e., on her hip, left arm, and each of her ankles.
